3 ms·

I'm working on a project for a large company that recently made Windows Phone 8 its corporate standard. I have to say that I've been impressed with the phone s

I'm working on a project for a large company that recently made Windows Phone 8 its corporate standard. I have to say that I've been impressed with the phone since I started using one for development. The display, camera and interfaces feel smooth and fun to use. It's easy to bash Microsoft and dismiss its products altogether, but it's important to give them a shot, if only to avoid the mistake of limiting ourselves to the Apple / Google technology that is most prevalent.

melling 13y ago
Why? We've pretty much limited ourselves to Apple and Microsoft on the desktop for almost 2 decades. In fact, it has been pretty much limited to Microsoft. They still have about 90% desktop market share, and almost 100% of the corporate desktop. Microsoft illegally killed off most desktop competition when they forced hardware vendors to pay for DOS on every PC they shipped, regardless of which OS they shipped. Personally, I think we're better off with Google taking the place of Microsoft in the mobile space.
- ladzoppelin 13y ago
  "Personally, I think we're better off with Google taking the place of Microsoft in the mobile space". Wow it just felt like 2008 for a second. Google's image is so different now. Sad really.
- hawkharris 13y ago
  If you were a professional filmmaker, would you only watch movies made by Steven Spielberg and Michael Bay? If you were a chef, would you refuse to eat anything but lobster and filet mignon? Apple and Google are the lobsters and the Steven Spielbergs of the technology world, so to speak: they're highly respected, rich and popular. In a way, there's nothing wrong with that: I use a Macbook, Gmail, etc., because I think they're very well made. My argument isn't that the software industry should jump into bed with Microsoft; I'm saying that trying technologies like the Windows Phone is vital to our professional development as software engineers. If you consider yourself a creator in any given field, you can't keep up without at least dabbling with different and sometimes lesser appreciated products. New ideas often emerge when we deviate from standard tools and practices.
  - DanBC 13y ago
    I strongly agree with your post. It is baffling to me that some people on HN have such strong resistance to trying other platforms, or are so defensive of their favoured platform. I assume that all software sucks, all hardware sucks, and there are only minor variations in levels of suckage for experienced users. It's weird that many people on HN will have no experience with home computers of the 80s era, or different OSs.
  - melling 13y ago
    Yes, I agree and I completely understand. It would have been great if BeOS and OS/2 survived, for example. Unfortunately, Microsoft killed off all competition. Now we're stuck in a world where 90% of the world runs Microsoft's operating system, and there's very little innovation. I'm all for looking at Microsoft's ideas. I just feel safer with Google on 80% of the world's phones. It'll add balance have another major player.

melling 13y ago

Why? We've pretty much limited ourselves to Apple and Microsoft on the desktop for almost 2 decades. In fact, it has been pretty much limited to Microsoft. They still have about 90% desktop market share, and almost 100% of the corporate desktop. Microsoft illegally killed off most desktop competition when they forced hardware vendors to pay for DOS on every PC they shipped, regardless of which OS they shipped. Personally, I think we're better off with Google taking the place of Microsoft in the mobile space.

ladzoppelin 13y ago
"Personally, I think we're better off with Google taking the place of Microsoft in the mobile space". Wow it just felt like 2008 for a second. Google's image is so different now. Sad really.
hawkharris 13y ago
If you were a professional filmmaker, would you only watch movies made by Steven Spielberg and Michael Bay? If you were a chef, would you refuse to eat anything but lobster and filet mignon? Apple and Google are the lobsters and the Steven Spielbergs of the technology world, so to speak: they're highly respected, rich and popular. In a way, there's nothing wrong with that: I use a Macbook, Gmail, etc., because I think they're very well made. My argument isn't that the software industry should jump into bed with Microsoft; I'm saying that trying technologies like the Windows Phone is vital to our professional development as software engineers. If you consider yourself a creator in any given field, you can't keep up without at least dabbling with different and sometimes lesser appreciated products. New ideas often emerge when we deviate from standard tools and practices.
- DanBC 13y ago
  I strongly agree with your post. It is baffling to me that some people on HN have such strong resistance to trying other platforms, or are so defensive of their favoured platform. I assume that all software sucks, all hardware sucks, and there are only minor variations in levels of suckage for experienced users. It's weird that many people on HN will have no experience with home computers of the 80s era, or different OSs.
- melling 13y ago
  Yes, I agree and I completely understand. It would have been great if BeOS and OS/2 survived, for example. Unfortunately, Microsoft killed off all competition. Now we're stuck in a world where 90% of the world runs Microsoft's operating system, and there's very little innovation. I'm all for looking at Microsoft's ideas. I just feel safer with Google on 80% of the world's phones. It'll add balance have another major player.